What a Difference a Year Makes: An Inside Look at the 2018 Varsity Football Team

By Olivia E.

This season, the Duxbury High School Varsity Football team lost almost thirty seniors from last year’s roster. According to Quinn M., one of the senior captains, “There was a huge adjustment from this year to last year. The offensive line lost three starters, defensive line lost all four starters, linebackers lost all three starters, lost one starting receiver, lost one starting running back, and lost two defensive backs.”

According to Dave Maimaron, head coach of the Duxbury football team, change is inevitable and every team is different.

“Last year’s seniors are off to college and this year’s team has new sophomores and juniors and seniors who have worked hard since the end of the last season to get bigger, stronger, and faster,” said Coach Maimaron. “We had a lot of experience returning on the offensive side of the ball but the coaching staff has been pleasantly surprised with the play of a bunch of new varsity players on defense.”

Last year’s team won the Patriot League Title for the tenth year in a row and the team was able to clinch their eleventh title with this past Friday’s game against Hingham.

“I think our team is very strong this year and might be better than last year’s team. We lost a lot of good players, but also gained a lot of great ones who have really showed out,” said Quinn M.

Quinn M., who has been on the varsity team for several years, has experienced a dramatic change in players. With a change in players comes a change in the culture of the team.

“The culture was different at first, especially for me personally, being such good friends with a good amount of the seniors who graduated,” said Quinn M. “But, like every other year there is a ton of trust with everybody on the team and the fact that we hold each other accountable for our actions.”

In terms of trust, Coach Maimaron feels strongly that, “You always trust someone who has responded positively to a certain situation before, more than a player who has not been in the situation previously.”

Coach Maimaron has a list of expectations for the team that help to set the team culture, “Be on time, be a good guy, [and] do the little things right and let the big things fall into place,” said Coach Maimaron, among many other expectations.

There were four seniors who went on to play at the Division III collegiate level last year. This year, there are four Seniors who are planning to play at the Division III collegiate level and one who is planning on playing at the Division I collegiate level next year. The seniors who graduated last year were instrumental in paving the way for current students.

“The captains who have came before me really paved the road for me and our team this year, said Quinn M. “The seniors who graduated really influenced our team this year on our path to success.”